Each Sunday, the Dashboard centralizes all the crucial
information fantasy managers need to dominate their weekly head-to-head matchups
or climb the standings in their rotisserie leagues. The Dashboard covers schedule
analysis, status updates, adds, drops, watch list candidates, depth chart
analysis and deep league targets for managers of all skill levels. Quite
simply, it is a comprehensive weekly cheat sheet that is packed with so much
information that we’ve devoted two writers to producing it. Justin Phan will
cover the adds, watch list candidates, depth chart analysis and deep league
targets, while Phil Londen will take care of the schedule analysis, status
updates and cuts.

Add List- players currently owned in less than 40% of Yahoo! leagues

•Ramon Sessions(notes) (35% owned) – the move to Minnesota was disastrous for Sessions as he
was totally miscast in Rambis’ triangle offense. He is at his best off the
pick-and-roll, a set he ran less than a third of the time last season. Sessions
will have the opportunity to start alongside Mo Williams(notes) and P&R all he
wants with Hickson/Varejao while Mo parks on the perimeter as a deadly spot-up
shooter. He’ll be a serviceable PG3 and is a nice target in the late rounds,
especially if you’re in need of some assists. If he’s ever going to have a
coming out party, now is the time.

•Kirk Hinrich(notes) (35%) – Flip Saunders has started calling
him ‘Elmer’s’,
the glue that keeps this team together with his ability to keep the ball moving
on what can turn into a very iso-heavy offense. Whether or not he remains the
starting small forward, he’ll be a large part of the Wizards’ plans as the
third guard behind Gilbert Arenas(notes) and John Wall(notes). He doesn’t have the upside
Sessions does, but he’ll provide enough contributions in several areas (threes,
assists, steals, low turnovers) to warrant a roster spot in standard leagues.

•Kyle Korver(notes) (21%) – sooner or later the Bulls will
realize how crucial Korver’s ability to space the floor will be to their team’s
success. He led the league in three-point percentage last season and is deadly
on long two’s as well, converting 46-to-49 percent of his attempts from that
range. Korver should back up both swing spots (if not win the starting 2 job
outright) and will get plenty of run on what might be his best season since
’06-’07. A finish in the top-120 is certainly within his reach. Look for an
abundance of threes with high percentage and low turnovers.

•Jeff Teague(notes) (16%) – an ankle injury is perhaps the
only thing keeping him from winning the starting point guard job away from Mike
Bibby(notes), who is a sinking ship at this point of his career. He’s a better fit
than Bibby within Larry Drew’s faster-paced motion offense and offers a sizable
upgrade on the defensive end. The opportunity is certainly there and there’s no
shortage of talent as he enters his second season – he just needs to find a way
to fine-tune his offensive game and improve his playmaking ability.

•Ty Lawson(notes) (14%) – yes, he’ll enter the season as
Chauncey Billups’(notes) primary backup, but George Karl has indicated that he plans
to play the two alongside each other for stretches. Lawson is in an ideal
situation, learning from one of the best mentors at his position in a
fast-paced system that aligns with his strengths. He was phenomenal his rookie
season and I can’t see Karl playing him any less than 23-24 minutes per game.
In the 36 games where he played at least 20 minutes, Lawson averaged 11.8
points, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 treys on 53.9 percent shooting from
the field. Factor in natural second-year improvement and those are averages
worth rostering, even in standard leagues.

•Austin Daye(notes) (12%) – as a Santa Clara alum and West Coast Conference
enthusiast, I have become quite familiar with Daye’s game from his college days.
I got the same feeling watching him play in person when he was at Gonzaga that
I did when I witnessed JaVale McGee(notes) play first hand when he was at Nevada – an
initial feeling of frustration for how he handily dominated any Bronco who
stood in his path, immediately followed by a sense of appreciation that I was
able to watch a legitimate NBA talent. What differentiates Daye from every other
prospect blessed with his wingspan and size (for his position) is that he
actually has his head on a swivel, with great basketball instincts and a high
basketball IQ. He has looked a
lot more comfortable playing his position this summer and it has certainly
shown in the preseason, where he is averaging 9.8 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5
blocks, and 1 steal on 53.5 percent shooting in 20.3 minutes of action. Any
questions about potential defensive shortcomings are dispelled when his main
competition for minutes is Charlie Villanueva(notes) and Tracy McGrady(notes). Whether or not
he starts at the 4, Daye should see major run at both forward spots and has
displayed legit multi-category potential. Don’t wait too long to make a move here,
even if it means making a semi-speculative add with your last roster spot.

•Wesley Matthews(notes) (10%) – No player on the Blazers
roster has generated more buzz this summer than Matthews, not even Nicolas
Batum(notes). Wes has the ability to defend three positions from one through three, is
capable at handling the ball, and can initiate the offense in certain
situations. That part of his game has always been there though. The area of his
game where he’s beginning to turn some heads this off-season is on offense,
where he’s flashed legit double-digit point potential as a proficient perimeter
shooter. A sore Achilles has slowed him down a bit, but it’s become quite clear
that Nate McMillan has big plans for Matthews this season.

•Josh McRoberts(notes) (10%) – the battle at power forward
between McRoberts and Hansbrough appears to be a daily tug-of-war, but
McRoberts is the one I’d rather own of the two. Larry O’Brien has made it pretty explicit
that McRoberts is the starter and it is his job to lose. He’s got a nice
all-around game with gaudy rebound and block averages, supplemented by a
healthy steal rate and high conversion rate at the rim. His perimeter game is
rather undeveloped at this point but should improve as the season goes on. The
only real knock on him is his free-throw percentage impact. Look for McRoberts
as a serviceable fourth center and a potential upside play in the late rounds.

•Marvin Williams(notes) (37% owned) – I can’t say I’m overly
optimistic here, but if there is ever a time for Williams to finally break away
from being completely average across the board, it is this season. He’s a much
better fit in Drew’s motion offense than in Woodson’s iso-heavy offense, where
his passivity has really stunted his development. Williams is an excellent
finisher around the basket and has the potential to draw a lot of fouls, so
there is some hope. For what it’s worth, he has been excellent in his two preseason
appearances, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 treys, and 2 steals.

•Greg Monroe(notes) (22%) – he’ll assuredly go through some
early growing pains as he struggles defending the elite big men out East, but
the payout should be there eventually. He’s a very skilled offensive player with
the ability to initiate the offense from various areas of the floor and control
the glass. Monroe
hasn’t exactly blown people away during the preseason, but he has shown the
ability to fill the stat sheet and the starting center job should be his sooner
rather than later.

•Tyler Hansbrough(notes) (13%) – the other half of the Pacers
power forward battle. Being a Heels fan I am a big Psycho T fan, but I can’t
fully endorse him as a fantasy option in good conscience. Hansbrough’s overall
game is extremely limited as he really only does two things well: grab
offensive rebounds and draw fouls. He is a disaster on offense, having his
shots blocked at more than twice the league rate while only hitting on 29
percent of his jumpers. And is there any guarantee his whole ear infection /
vertigo issue doesn’t return? Things can potentially turn in his favor and he
could warrant a roster spot by season’s end, but I wouldn’t exactly count on
it.

Deep League Specials- players owned in five percent or less of Yahoo! leagues

•Chase Budinger(notes) (5% owned) – coming off a more than
respectable rookie campaign, Budinger will look to build on the incremental
improvements (points, rebounds, %%) he exhibited with each passing month last
season. Boy genius Daryl Morey expects Budinger to step up this year and had
enough confidence
in him to deal away Trevor Ariza(notes). He’s still dealing with a sprained ankle,
but has been one of the first two guys off the bench in the Rockets’ last two
preseason games.

•Donte Greene(notes) (4%) – despite showing up to camp
overweight and rather poor play in the preseason, Greene has been named the
starting small forward. He improved dramatically last season but was still
below-average in the big picture. There’s some three/block potential to be had
here, but he is way too limited in four areas (points, rebounds, assists,
steals) to warrant consideration in standard leagues. Don’t forget that Omri
Casspi(notes) and Francisco Garcia(notes) will be pushing him for minutes.

•Toney Douglas(notes) (4%) – Douglas
has come on with some strong performances in the preseason and has emerged as a
threat to win the starting shooting guard job. Pairing him with Felton in the
backcourt forces opposing teams to put a slower defender one of the two,
creating a win-win scenario where either Felton or Douglas will benefit. The
starting 2 spot is up for grabs right now with Mason, the presumed starter,
hitting just 26.7 percent of his shots during the preseason and Azubuike
possibly out until Christmas.

•Jonny Flynn(notes) (44%) - Honestly, Jonny Flynn never looked
totally comfortable or proficient in Kurt Rambis’ triangle-based last season.
Triangle systems, like the Lakers’ system, do not utilize point guards in the
same manner as more traditional systems, where point guards generally don’t
dominate the ball as much as in the triangle. Flynn finished last season
outside of the top-200 in per-game value. Since the end of last season, Flynn
has been sidelined
with a hip injury that is scheduled to be reexamined on October 25th. He is
generally aiming for a November return date at this point. At the same time, Luke
Ridnour(notes) joined Minnesota
and has been the starter from day one. Flynn is heading for a timeshare at best
or a backup role at worst. There is virtually no upside in owning Jonny at this
point in the season.

•Josh Howard(notes) (37%) - Howard is another player returning
from serious injury that does not deserve to be rostered outside the deepest of
leagues. Howard suffered an ACL tear last February with the Wizards and is dealing
with a recovery process with the potential for setbacks. With no public
timeline for a return to action, leave Howard on the wires until there is
sustained positive news and a more definite return date.

•Shaun Livingston(notes) (17%) - Unfortunately, Livingston
will likely go down in the history books as one of those players with an
asterisk next to his name to mark what could have been. Livingston
is still attempting to recover from one of basketball’s most gruesome injuries
and is dealing with the fallout. In fact, no
NBA player has ever come back from such a devastating knee injury. Before
the beginning of training camp Livingston seemed poised to take advantage of Charlotte’s lack of depth
at the point but has been hampered by injury problems from the start. DJ
Augustin(notes) is looking like a better option every day.

• The Knicks
recently announced that Kelenna Azubuike could potentially be out for
another two months after patella tendon knee surgery almost a year ago. While
he may be back sooner than Christmas, it will take him some time to get himself
into game shape and work his way into New York’s rotation. He should be dropped
in virtually all leagues until we have more positive information.

•Brandon Bass’ name has been surfacing
in trade rumors recently. If he ends up getting traded to a team that plays
him quality minutes, Bass would be a solid pickup off the waiver wire (career
per-36 minute averages of 14.9 points on 49 FG% and 83 FT%, 8.1 rebounds and
1.2 blocks). The biggest factor working against a Brandon Bass deal right now
is his salary (three years, $12 million remaining).

•Andrew Bogut(notes)’s highly anticipated return to action was
delayed another game due to a random migraine
headache, not due to any setbacks with his hand/wrist/elbow injuries. Bogut
posted 11 points and five rebounds in about 14 minutes of action against the
Timberwolves on Sunday with no early indications that he aggravated of any of
his injuries. It has also come to light that Bogut will wear a
protective glove on his right hand during full contact action until further
notice. There are no indications regarding how long Bogut will be required to
wear the protective glove but expect an adjustment period where Andrew
acclimates to his new gear.

• For the injury-depleted Trailblazers, recent
developments have been a mixed bag. Marcus Camby(notes) recently missed a game due to
a bruised right hip. New addition and key rotation player Wesley Matthews has a
strained Achilles, which kept him out of
practice on Sunday and is expected to keep him out of Portland’s next game against the Warriors.
The only good news out of the Rip
City recently has been
the news that backup center Joel Przybilla is ahead
of schedule in his recovery from a serious knee injury last season and
should be available by mid-November. Finally, Brandon Roy(notes) has made statements
that he
wants a bigger role (i.e. more shots) on the offensive end, which would
translate into more fantasy production. While some may find these comments
divisive, Roy is Portland’s franchise player and deserves to
be the focus of the Trail Blazer’s offense.

• The Kings’ newfound frontcourt depth is already being
utilized with Samuel Dalembert(notes)’s recent diagnosis of a strained left abductor
muscle that is slated to keep him sidelined
for four-to-six weeks. Look for rookie DeMarcus Cousins(notes) to pick up the
extra minutes and consider him the early favorite to lock down Sacramento’s starting center spot for the
remainder of the season. All big men in Sacramento
deserve a slight upgrade as a result.

•Danny Granger(notes) owners were treated to their first scare of
the young season when Granger went down with a sprained ankle recently. Initial
speculation indicated that the strain could be fairly serious but the MRI
results came back clean showing only a mild sprain that should keep
Granger out of action for seven-to-ten days, barring any further setbacks.
Granger should be available on opening night.

• In what sounds like extreme cautiousness, Blake Griffin(notes) sat
out Sunday’s game against the Nuggets because of a “tweaked” ankle.
This news should not affect Griffin’s
fantasy value in any significant way, save for reinforcing the notion that
Blake may end up being injury-prone throughout his career.

• If you needed additional convincing, Tracy McGrady should be
ignored for fantasy basketball purposes until further notice. After logging
eight scoreless minutes on October 5th against the Miami Heat, McGrady is done
until the beginning of the regular season in order to work on his
conditioning. Consider this a giant red flag.

•Mehmet Okur has been making
progress from his Achilles injury that occurred during the first half of Utah’s very first
playoff game last season. The injury was serious, the recovery period is
arduous and there is no timeline for Okur’s return to action yet. This is shaping up to be a potential lost season for Memo. Let other managers deal
with the headache and look for production elsewhere. In more positive news for
the Jazz, Kyrylo Fesenko(notes) is expected
to play in Sunday’s game against the Lakers after injuring his wrist
against the Suns. With Okur out, Fesenko will be a key rotation player behind
Al Jefferson(notes) and Paul Millsap(notes) this season.

• In other Bucks injury news, John Salmons(notes) has been unable to
participate in training camp due to a sprained
right knee. Coach Scott Skiles has been non-committal on when Salmons would
return, putting his status on opening night in question.

•Tiago Splitter(notes)’s rookie campaign is off to a slow start, having failed to see
any action in any of the Spurs games so far this preseason. Splitter has been
dealing with a variety of ailments this summer, with the latest being a strained
right plantaris muscle. Pop is handling Splitter with kid gloves so don’t
expect to see Tiago on the floor prior to the beginning of the regular season,
which could translate to a slow start for the Brazilian big man.

• Sophomore guard Jeff Teague remains out with a murky
timeline for the Hawks with a sprained
ankle. Atlanta
is handling Teague’s injury with extreme cautiousness leaving his availability
for the season opener is unclear.

Depth Chart Breakdown & Analysis

Though we’re a little over a week away from the season
opener, several coaches are still experimenting with different lineups and
haven’t exactly settled on their rotations yet. I’ll take a look at a few of
these cases and break down each depth chart, offering analysis on the potential
implications for those involved.

There are about five different variations of this lineup
that are possible, but this is the one I think the Knicks will go to the most.
D’Antoni has all but abandoned his original plan to start Turiaf at center, and
his recent experiment with Mozgov in the starting lineup has
not fared well. He said he is tempted to go smaller and play at a quicker
pace with Stoudemire at
center, and believes Chandler is a better fit at the 4 (than at the 2)
where he can do for Amar’e what Shawn Marion(notes) did for Amar’e in
Phoenix. Randolph and Turiaf get squeezed in this configuration, and their
values will certainly suffer because of it. Mason gets the nod at shooting
guard for now, but I could certainly see Douglas and Fields challenging
if they can exhibit any sort of high-level consistency. When Azubuike
eventually gets back on the court there should be little stopping him from
claiming the starting shooting guard job, though. Chandler has done well (even better) in the
past when playing extensive
minutes at the 4, so his value gets a small boost here.

Doug Collins has been adamant about implementing a bigger
lineup with a more traditional big man in the middle, but a recent injury to
Spencer Hawes (possible bulging/herniated disc) may force him to start the
season with Brand at center. What we know is that Holiday,
Iguodala, and Brand will be fixtures in the starting lineup, while Lou Williams
and Meeks will likely come off the bench. Turner looks to be the incumbent
starting shooting guard for now, but don’t be surprised to see him return to a
bench role once Hawes is healthy and Iguodala slides back over to the 2. Brand
has had some dreadful
rebounding performances at the center spot in the preseason so I wouldn’t bump
him up at all here. In fact, his production has significantly dipped
when he’s moved from the 4 to the 5. Brand owners should be hoping for Hawes to
return sooner rather than later so Brand can slide back to the 4 where he is
better accustomed. Young will see time between both forward spots, more so at
the 3, while Lou Williams will get plenty of minutes backing up Holiday at the point and Turner/Iguodala at the 2.